Photobook of the Year is Selected in Paris

The Winner of the 2014 edition of the prestigious PhotoBook Awards is Nicoló Degiorgis, the author of a book on the life of the Muslims in Italy.

Among the 300 submissions to the international contest Aperture Foundation Photobook Awards, which is part of the Paris Photo festival, the judging panel has selected 29 year old Italian photographer Nicoló Degiorgis – author of the book Hidden Islam.

The winner was awarded with a $10,000 first prize.
Nicoló Degiorgis’s project brings attention to the phenomenon of Islamophobia, which is common in Western countries. Italy with a 1.35 million Muslim population is used as an example because authorities refuse to give permission to build eight mosques.

Using his own funds, the author spent four years documenting lives of Muslim immigrants and making photos of their places of prayer. He showed that people have to pray in warehouses, parking slots, stadiums, and abandoned factories.